Region- and cell type-specific changes in gene expression in the cerebellum after classical fear conditioning [Spatial Transcriptomics]

However, the molecular mechanisms underlying non-motor learning and memory remain largely unknown. Here, we investigate the transcriptional changes in the cerebellum associated with auditory fear conditioning.

Spatial transcriptomic analysis revealed that in the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN), an output region of the cerebellum, the expression of immediate early genes increased following fear learning and retrieval, suggesting that DCN may contribute to fear memory processing. As for the cerebellar cortex, robust and region-specific transcriptional changes were observed, with distinct expression patterns emerging across the Purkinje cell layer of vermis region.